SPR studies of carbohydrate-lectin interactions as useful tool for screening on lectin sources

Lectins are proteins or glycoproteins from plants, animals or microorganisms, which typically bind specifically to sugar residues, e.g., located in cell walls or membranes. This reaction might change the physiology of the cell wall and influences the metabolism inside the cell. Some lectins of plants stimulate the immune system by unspecific activation of T-cells or influence cell division; others cause agglutination of cells (e.g., erythrocytes) and are therefore from therapeutic interest. In a new approach, biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA) was utilised for a screening program on lectins. The BIA has been done by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The system can be used either for characterisation of lectin-binding domains or for a screening on lectins from natural sources. Several lectin-binding surfaces on the basis of SPR have been established.